This morning, the world is mourning the death of Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal’s original wild child, reality TV’s accidental pioneer, and, bizarrely, one of advertising’s most unlikely MVPs.
Osbourne, who passed away this morning at the age of 76, wasn’t just a rock god, he was a brand ambassador like no other. With that iconic raspy voice and a complete disregard for the script, Osbourne brought chaotic magic to every ad he touched. And brands willing to take the risk, absolutely loved it.
Osbourne was unforgettable. He wasn’t polished, he wasn’t predictable and that made him perfect for an out of this world spot or brand endorsement. Whether he was shuffling through his kitchen, slurring his way through a product pitch or yelling at his dogs on MTV, Osbourne made you look twice. Brands capitalised on his unpredictability, honesty and authenticity.
In life, Osbourne turned chaos into charisma. In advertising, he turned that charisma into campaigns that people still talk about years later.
So, without further ado, as the world mourns the loss of an absolute legend, let’s look back on the ads that captured the chaos, charisma and charm of the one and only Ozzy Osbourne
“What The F*ck Is A Beiber?”
This 2011 Super Bowl ad saw Osbourne baffled by futuristic tech while a fresh-faced Justin Bieber explained the “next big thing.” This led to the absolutely iconic line, that truly most of us were thinking circa 2011… “What the f*ck is a Beiber”.
“Sharon, the kids have turned into the Osmonds”
In the 2003 Pepsi Twist Super Bowl commercial the entire Osbourne family wake up to a nightmarish scene: they’ve all mysteriously transformed into wholesome pop culture icons, Florence Henderson (of The Brady Bunch) and Donny and Marie Osmond. The ad played off the family’s famously dysfunctional reality TV image by dropping them into the kind of squeaky-clean family dynamic they’d be least comfortable in.
“Why Would You Want To Be Normal?”
In the Brisk Iced Tea claymation spot, an animated Ozzy launches into an ironic “how to be normal” guide. He rattles off a list of bland life choices “go on a cruise,” “decorate your cubicle,”, then pauses with that iconic glint in his eye and demands, “But why would you want to be normal?”
He downs a swig of Brisk, and instantly snaps back into the wild, risk-taking rocker we all knew and loved.
“That’s Black Magic… I’ve Seen That Before”
A phone that could decipher Ozzy’s famously slurred speech. Finally, a product that solved a real-world problem.
In another commercial as part of the same series, Osbourne is walked through the new keyboard features of the Samsung phone. Shocked by the technology, he calls in “black magic” and abruptly leaves declaring “I’ve seen that before” – a subtle nod to the rumours that Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath had been involved in practicing black magic and worshipping Satan.
“I’ve Been The Prince Of Darkness Since 1979”
Naturally, in this World Of Warcraft spot, Osbourne was featured as the “Prince of Darkness” himself in a high-profile campaign for World of Warcraft, leaning all the way into his metal mythos. When interrupted mid take to be told that there is only one Prince of Darkness, Osbourne declares the producer has been taking “crazy pills” because he has been the Prince of Darkness since 1979.
“I Can’t Tell The Difference? Can You?”
And yes, for reasons that may never be fully explained, he once did a British ad for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
Rest in peace, Ozzy. You may have been the Prince of Darkness, but you were also a damn good spokesperson and always good for a laugh or two.
